Description: My task was to design the mechanical aspects of
a mechatronic system that could autonomously open and close doors.
This was an extension of a project already in development to design
a robot that would help scientists in life science laboratories do menial
tasks, such as moving samples from one location to another. There was
a full Diplomarbeit already completed on this topic in the past, but
they found the results unsatisfactory as the design was too complex
and expensive to be used.

I was to therefore start from the beginning
again, and see how far I could progress during my time at the institute.
With my experience from Stanford design classes, I was supposed to
begin with a very broad brainstorm and generate many ideas from which
an eventual design could be developed. As the ideas became more and
more focused over time, I began to make computer simulations with CAD
software to visualize the process, as well as numerical models to estimate
forces and loads (and even a little bit of physical prototyping). At
this point I have made some calculations to give some concrete specifications
to the design, and am now working on finding specific components (gears,
drives, motors, etc.) that are suitable for my design. [...]

Comments: This project was very worthwhile for me. I got to
start from scratch with my own design project, and really get my first
taste of the real-world engineering process. Although I found working
alone to be sometimes slow and frustrating (especially trying to generate
lots of ideas in the beginning), it was also beneficial in some ways.
While I might not have gotten as far along as I would have wanted to
during this time because I was working alone, I was able to not only
see but perform all the steps along the way by myself. I gained some
significant and valuable experience with Pro/Engineer, a popular CAD
program, and also with the design process itself and writing technical
reports to summarize some of my work.

Personally rewarding: I thought the experience and skills I
learned were very useful, as I got to experience many facets of the
design process. To look at where I have progressed to now, and knowing
that I did every bit of it myself is quite rewarding. [...]

This being
my first time in Europe, I really did get to experience many new
places and cultures. I think that in combination with my quarter studying
in Berlin with Stanford, this internship was a really unique experience
that allowed me to get a lot more out of my time in Germany. My time
in Berlin with the very supportive Stanford staff prepared me by improving
my language abilities and getting used to living in Germany, and allowed
me to make good friends with other students who would be staying to
do their internships as well. With this preparation, the adjustment
to my new life almost entirely on my own was not too overwhelming, although
still difficult. I got to see a completely different side of Germany
from the normal tourist cities, and really got to know the city by
living on my own for an extended period of time. While it was great
to meet new people and make new friends in our respective cities, I
think some of the most memorable experiences were traveling around Germany
with other Krupp interns. Having a base of friends also working in Germany
(only possible with a program like ours) helped us prevent homesickness
and allowed us to share and discuss our experiences with others in similar
positions.

German language skills: My language skills are nowhere near
fluent, as I entered the internship with only one school year of instruction.
However, I do feel that my abilities have improved significantly, especially
with comprehension and learning many of the more informal phrases and
words that we did not learn in the classroom but are very common. My
region (Saxen-Anhalt) did have a particularly hard accent to understand
in the beginning, but I have become somewhat accustomed to it and I
think my German ability has definitely improved.